Windscreen washer jet with an integrated jet chip

ABSTRACT

The inventive windscreen washer jet is used for spraying front or rear windscreens of automobiles and consists of the following: a housing ( 1 ) with a connector tube ( 2 ) for the spray water and a chamber ( 3 ) for integrating a jet chip ( 4 ). Said chip has a central opening through which the water flows ( 5 ) and from which several semicircular channels ( 6 ) are guided outwards in a fan shape. The channels ( 6 ) formed in the chip ( 4 ) are open towards one end and are blocked off by the chamber walls after the jet has been inserted, so that they are watertight. The channels ( 6 ) are formed in the chip ( 4 ) in such a way that the width (b) of the channel narrows towards the discharge area and they have a depth of 0.1 to max. 0.2 mm and a width of 0.2 mm to max. 0.4 mm at the discharge end. This ensures that the water jet is discharged at high speed and is therefore able to wet the vehicle windscreen more effectively.

The invention is based on a windshield washer nozzle with a compartmentfor embedding a nozzle chip provided with flow channels according to EPS0 044 331. In this known nozzle chip, the flow channels are arranged onboth sides of a so-called oscillating compartment, which generatesturbulence and, in connection with the channels and the geometry of theside walls, ensures that the water jet emerging from the nozzleoscillates. This oscillatory movement ensures that the emerging waterjet will be rapidly moved back and forth across the windshield so thatthe water will be distributed over the surface covered by the windshieldwiper.

This oscillation method requires a relatively large amount of water andconsequently results in a relatively fast consumption of the spray watersupply. In addition, this fanned water jet is very sensitive to relativewind and is pushed downward, particularly when driving at high speeds.This only results in the poor wetting of the upper half of thewindshield and in smearing the windshield with the windshield wipers.

The invention is based on the object of realizing the channelarrangement and design of the nozzle chip in such a way that the waterjet emerges with significantly greater force and the windshield iswetted more effectively. The invention also aims to reduce waterconsumption.

According to the invention, this object is essentially realized in thatseveral approximately semicircular channel grooves extend outwardly fromthe central water flow-through opening in the form of a fan, where saidchannel grooves have a depth of not more than 0.2 mm and a width of notmore than 0.4 mm at the outlet end. The utilization of nozzle chipsmakes it possible to realize flow channels with a very small flow crosssections such that the water consumption is significantly reduced. Theinstallation of the chips is very simple and preferably takes place inthe mold. If the chip wears out or the flow channels become clogged, thechip can be easily replaced with a new chip.

Additional refinements and embodiments of the invention are defined bythe characteristics of the subordinate claims that essentially make itpossible to achieve the following advantages:

Due to the width of the channel grooves which, according to claim 2 and,in particular, claim 3, become narrower toward the outlet region, anenormous increase in the flow speed is achieved such that the water jetis very focused until it strikes the windshield.

The arrangement of recesses between the channel grooves within theregion of the narrowings in accordance with claim 4 results in amicroscopic movement of the relatively thin intermediate walls due tothe constantly alternating pressure build-up and pressure drop when thewindshield wiper system is actuated. In this way, lime deposits or theformation of other accumulations on the channel walls can be prevented.

It is particularly advantageous if the chip consists of a relativelysoft, elastic thermoplastic elastomer in comparison with the hardplastic material of the nozzle body. Thus, the intermediate walls willreact flexibly to pressure changes. In addition, the seal between theouter surfaces of the chip and the inner walls of the nozzle body willbe improved.

Two embodiments of the invention that are described in greater detailbelow are illustrated in the drawings. The drawings show:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a windshield washer nozzle housing with a nozzlechip integrally injection-molded thereon,

FIG. 2 is the same windshield washer nozzle housing in the form of asection through line II—II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is the same windshield washer nozzle housing in the form of afront view, i.e., viewed in the direction of the arrow V;

FIG. 4 is the same section through the windshield washer nozzle housingthat appears in FIG. 2 with the chip inserted;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged top view of the chip;

FIG. 6 is a section through the nozzle channels along line VI—VI in FIG.5;

FIG. 7 is a section through the nozzle channels along line VII—VII inFIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is another form of the nozzle chip with recesses arranged betweenthe narrow regions of the channel grooves;

FIG. 9 is a front view of this nozzle chip viewed in the direction ofthe outlet region of the channel grooves;

FIG. 10 is the windshield washer nozzle in the installed state;

FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of the invention in the form of asectional through the housing before the nozzle chip is inserted;

FIG. 12 shows the same embodiment after the insertion of the nozzlechip;

FIG. 13 is a top view of the corresponding housing;

FIG. 14 is a top view of the corresponding nozzle chip, and

FIG. 15 is the housing with the inserted nozzle chip mounted on awindshield wiper arm.

The windshield washer nozzle illustrated in the figures consists of ahousing 1 that is preferably manufactured by injection-molding a hardplastic material. A connection piece 2 for supplying the spray water isintegrally formed onto the underside of the housing 1. A compartment 3with rectangular cross section is arranged in the housing 1, with saidcompartment serving for embedding a so-called nozzle chip 4 thatpreferably consists of a soft, elastic thermoplastic elastomer materialand is injection-molded together with the housing in the same mold. Thischip 4 has the same rectangular cross section as the compartment 3 andcontains a central flow-through opening 5 for the water jet, with theopening 5 extending through the entire thickness of the chip 4. Severalsemicircular channel grooves 6 are arranged on the upper side of thechip 4, with said channel grooves extending outward from the centralopening 5 in the form of a fan. After the chip 4 is inserted into thecompartment 3, the opening 5 is located precisely above the supply line7 of the connection piece 2 as shown in FIG. 4.

The spray water supplied by a windshield washer system (not shown)reaches the channel grooves 6, which are sealed water-tight relative tothe compartment walls when the chip 4 is installed through the nozzlebody 1 and the opening 5.

At their outlet end, the channel grooves 6 have a depth between 0.1 mmand 0.2 mm and a width between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm. The channel groovesare preferably formed in the chip 4 so that they taper toward the outletend, with the grooves 6 narrowing from an initial width b1 betweenapproximately 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm to between approximately 0.1 mm and 0.2mm at the outlet. This narrowing of the channels results in asignificant acceleration of the water flowing through the channels.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show that recesses 23 may be arranged in the surface 24 ofthe nozzle chip 4 between the channel grooves 6 in the vicinity of thenarrow regions 22. These recesses are separated from the channel grooves6 by relatively thin intermediate walls 25. The constantly alternatingpressure build-up and pressure drop of the spray water which occurs whenthe windshield washer system is actuated results in an elastic,microscopic deformation of the intermediate walls 25, which are formedto be slightly flexible and to prevent the accumulation of lime or otherdebris contained in the spray water. This elastic, microscopicdeformation can also be facilitated by utilizing a soft, elasticthermoplastic elastomer in the manufacture of the nozzle chip 4.

FIG. 10 shows the windshield washer nozzle in the installed conditionunderneath the windshield 9. Here, the housing 1 is arranged to pivot ina recess 11 of the window [sic; windshield] frame by means of a holdingbracket 10 and holding pins 8 integrally formed onto the housing 1,where the housing is connected to the windshield washer system pump bymeans of a hose 12 that is attached to the connecting piece 2. Awindshield wiper 13 with a wiper arm 14 is also illustrated in its idleposition beneath the windshield 9. The water jet 15 is sprayed from thewindshield washer nozzle housing 1 onto the windshield 9, above thewiper blade 14, with the jet 15 highly focused due to the geometry ofthe channel grooves 6 in the nozzle chip 4, striking the windshield 9 athigh speed in an approximately linear fashion. Due to the pivotedholding arrangement of the pins 8 in the holding bracket 10, thedirection of the emerging water jet 14 relative to the windshield 9 canbe optimally adjusted in accordance with the desired angle of impact.

Another embodiment of the windshield washer nozzle is shown in FIGS.11-15. This nozzle consists of an oblong housing 16 with severalcompartments 17 for inserting nozzle chips 18. The housing 16, as shownin FIG. 13, is designed to be mounted on the wiper arm 14 of awindshield wiper 13 so that the windshield washer nozzle moves over thewindshield 9 together with the wiper arm 14. The connecting piece 2,through which the spray water is supplied to the individual compartments17 via a channel 19 integrally formed in the housing 1, is arranged atone end of the housing 16. Flexible holding clamps 20 are integrallyformed on the underside of the housing 16 and engage behind the wiperarm 14 after the housing 16 is attached.

The nozzle chips 18 are designed similarly to the chips 4 according tothe first embodiment and provided with channel grooves 21 that extendoutwardly from the central opening 5 in the form of a fan and have thesame cross-sectional geometry as the channel grooves 6 of the chips 4.The emerging water jet 15 is highly focused when it strikes thewindshield 9 and always travels back and forth over the windshield 9together with the windshield wiper arm 14.

What is claimed is:
 1. Windshield washer nozzle, consisting of a housingwith a connection piece for the spray water and a compartment forembedding a nozzle chip provided with flow channels, with the spraywater supplied by the windshield washer system being transported intothe compartment (3) through the nozzle body (1), and from there into thechannel grooves (6), and with the channel grooves (6) molded into thechip (4) being open toward one side and sealed relative to thecompartment walls in a water-tight fashion in the installed condition ofthe chip (4), characterized by the fact that several semicircularchannel grooves (6) extend outwardly from the central water flow-throughopening (5) in the form of a fan, with said channel grooves having adepth between 0.1 and 0.2 mm and a width between 0.2 and 0.4 mm on theiroutlet end.
 2. Windshield washer nozzle according to claim 1,characterized by the fact that the channel grooves (6) are molded intothe chip (4) such that the channel width b tapers toward the outletregion.
 3. Windshield washer nozzle according to claim 2, characterizedby the fact that the channel grooves (6) taper from an initial width b1between approximately 0.5 and 0.7 mm to an outlet width b2 betweenapproximately 0.1 and 0.2 mm.
 4. Windshield washer nozzle according toclaim 2, characterized by the fact that recesses (23) are arranged inthe chip surface (24) between the channel grooves (6) in the vicinity ofthe narrow regions (22), with said recesses being separated from thechannel grooves (6) by relatively thin intermediate walls (25). 5.Windshield washer nozzle according to claim 1, characterized by the factthat the chip (4) is manufactured from a thermoplastic elastomermaterial that is relatively soft and elastic in comparison with the hardmaterial of the nozzle body (1).
 6. A windshield washer nozzle assemblyfor use with a windshield washer system, said assembly comprising: ahousing having a compartment in communication with fluid from saidwindshield washer system; a chip mounted in said compartment, said chiphaving at least one channel groove extending to deliver fluid from saidcompartment outwardly to an outlet end of said chip, said at least onechannel groove having a semi-circular cross section having apredetermined depth in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm and a predeterminedouter width in the range between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm at the outlet end. 7.The nozzle of claim 6, wherein said at least one nozzle is a pluralityof nozzles arranged to fan outwardly towards the outlet end of the chip.8. The washer nozzle of claim 6, wherein said at least one channelgroove tapers inwardly toward the outlet end.
 9. The washer nozzle ofclaim 6, wherein an interior end of said nozzle has an inner width inthe range between 0.5 mm and 0.7 mm and tapers to a predetermined outerwidth in the range between 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm.
 10. The washer nozzle ofclaim 7, wherein each at least one channel groove is formed between apair of intermediate walls having a predetermined wall thickness andsaid chip has a recess between each pair of channels of said pluralityof channels, the recess being defined by lands having a thicknessgreater than the said intermediate walls.
 11. The washer nozzle of claim6, wherein said chip further comprises an elastic thermoplate elastomermaterial which is softer than the material of the housing.